Потребительская политика ЕС

The 493 million EU consumers are central to the two main challenges facing the EU. They are the lifeblood of the economy as their consumption represents 58% of EU GDP. Confident, informed and empowered consumers are the engine of economic change as their choices drive innovation and efficiency. But it is also in their role as consumers that the EU can most directly connect to the daily lives of our citizens and demonstrate the benefits of the EU. The response to these challenges lies in equipping the consumer with the skills and tools to fulfil their role in the modern economy; in making markets deliver for them and in ensuring effective protection from the risks and threats they cannot tackle as individuals.

The internal market has played a central part in meeting Europe’s economic challenges and delivering tangible benefits for EU citizens. But until now the consumer dimension of the internal market and retail markets in particular have been less developed. The new economic, social, environmental and political context calls for a change in focus of EU policy towards consumers. The place of EU consumer policy will be at the heart of the next phase of the internal market, as set out in the Commission’s communication to the Spring European Council on the Single Market Review.